Mojave Desert High

Rumor has it I've been neglecting this thing. I guess it's true. Although maybe not technically neglect since I think that would indicate some sort of malice on my part, but it's been brought to my attention (more than once) that I've perhaps not been tending to it as much as I should. A girl's been busy! Just spent four glorious days in the high desert this past weekend with little to no phone or internet service and then there's those two pesky new jobs. How in the world did I find myself so quickly right back in the trap of working too much? Granted, my definition of working "too much" has changed a little, but seriously, it's almost like I can't help myself. But, I will make a better effort to pay more attention to the documenting of the adventures! I'm thankful that anyone is actually reading.

My holiday weekend didn't start as well as it could have. I stayed out too late last Wednesday night at a friend's art opening and was so lazy to get moving the next morning. This, of course, got me on the road later than I had planned. The traffic was atrocious and I was sorely missing my family and a particular friend or two, or three, or four, and listening to much too sad music for much too long of a drive. You know, it's quite a skill to cry your eyes out and talk on the phone and text and shuffle your iPod to only the sad songs and inch along in bumper to bumper traffic, all at the same time. After two detours and three freeway parking lots, what should have been at most a two and a half hour drive ended up taking me four. Although, now that I think about it, maybe it was a good thing I had such bad travel karma. It gave me plenty of time to blow my nose and fix my makeup, and I got to talk to my kid four times! So, that's something to be thankful for.

By the time I got to the Thanksgiving feast at the Joshua Tree home of friends of Pumpkin's, I was all cried out and honestly feeling better for it. I was also simply happy to be out there again. There's just something about that place. The light and the air and the landscape and the stars and the wide open spaces, I can't spend ten minutes there without finding myself dreaming and scheming about buying some little piece of it to call my own. One day. One day soon, I hope. The sun was just about setting when I finally arrived and the evening ended up being a complete embarrassment of riches: gorgeous weather, wonderful people, delicious and abundant food and drink, and an absolutely rockin' after-dinner Quonset disco hut! There was a lot to be thankful for.

Friday, I had leftover giant turkey wings, gf chocolate pecan pie, and pomegranate mimosas for breakfast and we spent the afternoon cruising around the high desert in the back of a pickup truck. I'll take all of that over standing in line at the mall every single time. I hit the local music hot spot, met W&L's two brand new and adorable puppies, had lots of good girl-talk time with the lovely and lovable and newly nicknamed MR. Chin, did a wee bit of personal birthday shopping, and dined and wined and played board games with a charming group of gentlemen. The entire weekend was a gold mine of food and drink and conversation - with a smattering of thrifty retail therapy thrown in - with new friends and old friends and newly best friends. I headed back to LA early Monday morning exhausted, and yet rested at the same time, and feeling eternally thankful for every single moment.